"It all started with salmon and will continue ... "

That big turkey your whole family recently enjoyed has been so transformed that it was too big breasted to breed normally ...


Father Samuel Heitkamp writes about farming issue for Today's Catholic newspaper, published by the Archdiocese of San Antonio, Texas.

This snippet is from his column in the Friday, January 14, 2011 edition.

"Last September there was a lot of news as genetically altered salmon was approved for human consumption.

"The recently passed Safe Food bill opens the door for more of these genetically altered foods.

"This bill, I understand, was pushed by the Monsanto Corporation which manufactures Roundup.

"They have genetically altered seeds so that resulting plants will not be affected by Roundup, their product..."

Genetic alteration affects birds, too!

"That big turkey your whole family recently enjoyed has been so transformed that it was too big breasted to breed normally and now has to be artificially inseminated, but we consumers seem to like our turkeys better this way.

"The biotech people feel that their tinkering with the genes of our plant and animal foods is the best way to reduce their diseases and protect them from insects while increasing their supply and taste.

"Thus today, some four - fifths of all soybean, corn and cotton produced last year was genetically engineered.

"Also, 95 percent of our sugar beet crop or one - half of our whole sugar harvest was genetically altered in some way.

"No, you have not heard the last of genetically altered food products, but we do have to go carefully in this new pathway.

"God made us stewards of his earth and thus we need to take good care of our home, earth... "

Way to go, padre! :)